Stoker mechanism



E. A. TURNER STOKER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 21, 1935 Aug 3, 1937.

IN VENTOR.

Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNiTED STATES STOKER MECHANISM Edwin Archer Turner, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Standard Stoker Company, Inc. (1922), a corporation of Delaware Application December 21, 1935, Serial No. 55,500-

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to stokers and more particularly to stokers for application to a locomotive and tender.

It is one object of the invention to provide a stoker of simple design and construction wherein a plurality of screw sections are employed for advancing fuel and wherein the forward screw section may be conveniently and easily removed and replaced.

It is a further object of the'invention to provide an improved stoker oi the type in which no part thereof protrudes above the locomotive cab deck and wherein fuel may be delivered manually to the locomotive unit of the stoker when the tender unit is rendered inoperative.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel fuel crushing arrangement with the locomotive unit of the stoker permitting unobstructed and free delivery of fuel to the 0 conveyor screw of the locomotive unit of the 5 elements productive of a new and improved stoker mechanism as will be apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, on which,

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of adjacent portions of a locomotive and tender with some parts in central vertical longitudinal section and a stoker embodying my invention mounted therein shown in similar section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portionof the stoker showing the hopper;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the stoker showing a modification of my invention.

On the drawing, the locomotive is indicated as a whole at l0 and its tender at l I. The locomotive is of conventional form having the usual 45 firebox structure I2, the backhead l3, and a 55 2| and 22; and an intermediate conduit 23 flexibly connected at its rearward endwith the trough I! by the universal joint formation 24 and communicating at its forward end with-the conduit 20. The conduit extends forwardly from the rear of the locomotive beneath the backhead I3, thence curves upwardly to extend: into the firebox l2 at a sufiicient height therein to permit the distributor head 25 to propelthe; coal rising from the conduit over the grate in aerial paths.

The conduit 2-0 comprises a. straight tubular portion 26 having an elbow 2'!" at its forward end carrying a discharge tube 28. The rearward end of the straight tubular portion 26 is provided with an upwardly opening hopper 28, preferably formed integral therewith, the walls of which extend upwardly and terminate immediately beneath the cab deck 85. Access to the hopper 29 from the cab I l-is provided forbyan opening in the cab deck l5 and a cover plate 30 hinged as at. 3| formsa closure for the opening.

A removable end cover 32 forms the rearwall of the hopper 29 and any suitable means such as bolts 33, secure it rigidly in position. The end cover 32 is provided in its upper half with an aperture 34 through which the forward end of the intermediate conduit 23 projects in-to the hopper 29; Thefo-rward end of the intermediate conduit 23 is supported by the end cover- 32 and slides longitudinally with respect thereto as relative longitudinal movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

Fuel is advanced through the conduits by a series of conveyor screws including a screw sec.- tion 35 in the troughv ii; a screw section36. in the intermediate conduit 23 universally connected, as at 37, with the trough screw 35;. and a screw section 38 in the straight tubular portion 26 of the conduit 20, the rearward end of the screw section 38 extending into the hopper 29 and being offset below the forward end of the screw section 36. The extended screw shaft 39 is journaled in a bearing 40 which is made as an integral part of the end cover 32. A drive shaft 4! leading from a source of power is universally connected at 52 with the extended screw shaft 39.

Any suitable driving mechanism well known to the art, preferably such as is shown in the patent to Myers, No. 2,007,095, may be employed to operate the conveying screws. Thus, if for some reason coal cannot be delivered mechanically to the hopper 29, the stoker will not be rendered entirely inoperative, as coal may be delivered manually directly to the screw section 38 through the hopper 29 by opening the hinged cover plate 30.

A section 43 of the wall of the tubular conduit portion 26 arching over the screw section 38 immediately forward of the front wall 44 of the hopper 29 is flared or conical and forms a crusher cooperating with the flights of the screw section 38 for reducing large lumps of coal to a suitable size for firing. The crusher 43 being entirely forward of the front wall 44 of the hopper 28,

there is no obstruction in the path of the fuel to the screw section 38 delivered to the hopper 29 mechanically by the screw sections 35 and 36 or delivered manually through the opening in the cab deck I5.

Removal and replacement of the screw section 38 is rendered simple and convenient, merely by unfastening the detachable end cover 32 and withdrawing the screw section 38 rearwardly through the open rear end of the hopper 29. No other parts of the stoker need to be disturbed or dismantled, with the exception of course that the universal joint 42 must be disconnected.

The modification shown in Fig. 4 is in all respects the same as the preferred form of the invention with the exception that the crushing wall 45 is shown detachable, being secured in place by any suitable means, such as the bolts I claim:

1. The combination with a locomotive having a firebox, a backwall for said firebox and a cab extending rearwardly of said backwall, a de( :k for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, of a stoker conduit rigidly mounted on the locomotive and extending forwardly from adjacent the rear of said locomotive into the firebox for delivering fuel thereto, that portion of said conduit rearward of the backwall being entirely beneath the level of the cab deck, said conduit including a tubular portion and an upwardly opening hopper-like rear portion communicating with said cab through an opening in the deck thereof, a transfer conduit including a rearward trough section rigidly mounted on the tender beneath the tender fuel bin and a forward tubular section flexibly connected to said rearward section, said tubular section communicating at its forward end with said hopper-like portion, the communicating ends of said portion and tubular section being arranged to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said transfer conduit and said first named conduit, the forward end of said transfer conduit being offset from the rearward end of the tubular portion of said first named conduit.

'2. The combination with a locomotive having a firebox, a backwall for said firebox and a cab extending'rearwardly of said backwall, a deck for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, of a stoker conduit rigid- 1y mounted on the locomotive and extending forwardly from adjacent the rear of said locomotive into the firebox for delivering fuel thereto, that portion of said conduit rearward of the backwall being entirely beneath the level of the cab deck, said conduit including a tubular portion and an upwardly opening hopper-like rear portion communicating with said cab through an opening in the deck thereof, said hopper having a detachable rear end Wall, a transfer conduit including a rearward trough section rigidly mounted on the tender beneath the tender fuel bin and a forward tubular section flexibly connected to said rearward section, said tubular section communicating at its forward end with said hopper-like portion, the communicating ends of said portion and tubular section being arranged to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said transfer conduit and said first named conduit, the forward end of said transfer conduit being offset from the rearward end of the tubular portion of said first named conduit, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit for advancing fuel therethrough, a screw conveyor in said first named conduit, and driving means for said last named screw conveyor extending through said detachable rear end Wall.

3. The combination with a locomotive having a firebox, a backwall for said firebox and a cab extending rearwardly of said backwall, a deck for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, of a stoker conduit mounted on the'locomotive and extending forwardly from adjacent the rear of said locomotive into the firebox for delivering fuel thereto, that portion of said conduit rearward of the backwall being entirely beneath the level of the cab deck, said conduit including a tubular portion and an upwardly opening hopper-like rear portion communicating with said cab through an opening in the deck thereof, said hopper-like portion having' a detachable rear end wall and having an opening in said wall offset vertically from the rearward end of 'the tubular portion of said conduit, a transfer conduit extending forwardly from beneath the tender fuel bin and communicating at its forward end with said hopper-like portion through the opening in its detachable rear wall, said transfer conduit being supported at its forward end by said detachable wall and being longitudinally slidable with respect thereto, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit for advancing fuel therethrough, a screw conveyor in said first named conduit, and driving means for said last named screw conveyor extending through said detachable rear end Wall.

E. ARCHER TURNER. 

